How to Go Pro in Esports

The journey to the top is long and arduous and often mysterious. We hope to help those making the climb.

For many aspiring players, their goal is to take their talents as far as they can which, hopefully, includes going pro. Unlike many traditional sports, however, going pro in esports is a bit of a nebulous concept. Where other sports have farm systems, little leagues, and even collegiate programs, esports structure at the amateur and middle tiers of competition is woefully absent.

At GYO, we aim to help change this by providing resources not just to players, but to those who operate amateur and mid-tier leagues, tournaments, and events as well. We support gaming venues such as LAN gaming centers and gaming arenas, and we support organized teams and clubs as well. At GYO, we aspire to help connect players with the opportunities to shine and get discovered, and then the rest is up to them.

Here’s how you can get started with your pro career on GYO.

Choose a Title or Two

While gamers do tend to hop around newly released titles, those who wish to commit to an esports program should focus on one or two titles maximum for their professional competitive play. If you’re going to have multiple titles, try to focus in at least on a specific genre that you wish to become an expert in. If you’re looking for collegiate scholarships, you can never go wrong with MOBAs, strategy games and deck builders like Hearthstone, and shooters that are not realistic (i.e. Overwatch versus Call of Duty).

While it is tempting to chase the popular titles, keep in mind that these titles are also the spaces where the heaviest competition lies, so it will be harder to stand out from the pack. Therefore it’s not a bad idea to embrace titles that may be less popular overall, but still have a healthy competitive scene.

More than anything, find a game you enjoy playing, because you’re going to need to grind it out with the game for a long time, and you’re more likely to survive the experience if you actually enjoy what you’re playing!

Sign Up for GYO

Putting aside the statistics for a moment, GYO is collecting a database of players who are interested in going pro. Even if our site does not yet have statistics for your favorite game, we do list leagues, competitions, and recruitment opportunities for all supported titles, and joining GYO means you have an opportunity to be found and recruited.

Signing up is free, and you can configure your privacy options the way you want to ensure your information is shared only with authorized scouts and pro teams, or you can be open and receive invitations from start up clubs looking to put together a run. You can configure everything you need to be discovered with GYO.

Testimonials

I feel extremely blessed most certainly. It has been absolutely incredible to receive a scholarship offer for playing a game I love - it's like a dream come true. I'm definitely going to be keeping up on GYO.

Nick H.

California, Age 17Rocket League Scholarship

You never will really succeed if you keep hanging back. You got to go out and try things. You can’t always be skeptical about everything you see.

Danyel A.

Georgia, Age 17Smite Scholarship

This is a good opportunity to get into the league scene and hopefully go pro, but also a great chance to get my college degree.

If you feel like you want to pursue this, then you really have to take that leap of faith and play to your best abilities.

Dustin C.

GeorgiaLeague of Legends Scholarship

It was really cool to get these offers from both these places. I never really had that before. And if there were any opportunity to make something of my talents and video games, I would be all for it. I’m going to enjoy it while I can and earn my degree.

There’s no real downside to it (GYO). If you're going to be playing the game anyways, might as well get something out of it!

Noah S.

Wisconsin, Age 20League of Legends Scholarship

I was SHOCKED! I didn’t think I even did this properly; I didn’t think I was going to get anything from this. Fast forward, and I woke up to an email that I had someone trying to contact me!

When I played ranked, I would occasionally get contacted by college recruiter, but nothing would happen. But through GYO, it's really good because it allows them to come see you and directly see your stats and find easier ways to contact me. It really helps your name get out there.

Luis A.

Kansas, Age 20League of Legends Scholarship

Show them! It doesn’t take much time! All you got to do is log on, play a few games, and your stats will speak for themselves! When you have places like GYO, take advantage of that!

The little time I have to play games, it definitely worth the time to invest in sites like GYO.

Arlay D.

OhioOverwatch Scholarship

Create Your Group

Want to rally fellow gamers to your team or group? Create a free group profile page on GYO.

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